Chick box spacing construction



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CHICK BOX SPACING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 14, 1938 l /3 y W i? I En @uw AT ORNEY.

Patented Jan. 21, 1941 l UNITED STATES PATENT oei-ics CHICK BOX SPACING `CNSTRUCTION Norbert F. Schaefer, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Anderson Box Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation l Application December 14, 1938, Serial No. 245,590

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-6) This invention relates to the spacing of stacked Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on chick boxes, the purpose therefor being toventiline 9-9 of Fig. '7 and in the direction of the late through Athe cover, the lower and supporting arrows.

box. For such purpose the cover is suitably In the drawing II) indicates a box bottom and `apertured as well understood in the art, hence II indicates a cover having a depending bottom 5 the same is neither illustrated herein, for cleartelescoping rim I2 in Fig. 1 the usual transverse ness, nor will the same be more specifically repartitions in the box bottoms are internally ferred to hereinafter. omitted. They may take any one of many forms. lo The Chief object of the present invention is to Likewise, the usual apertures in the side and end 10 provide spacing means at each corner of a chick walls as well as the top of the cover intentionally box and centrally thereof if, as and when dehave been omitted for clearness from both boxes sired, so that cross-ventilation may be effected in Fig. 1 and all other figures as well. above the cover between boxes. Fig. 1, as stated, shows two boxes, one being The chief feature of the invention resides in stacked upon the other, the upper box bearing 15 providmg a. spacer which may be readily applied on suitable spacers secured to the cover of the to a standard cover and secured thereto Without lower bOX and indicated generally by the 1111- Stapling or gluing by merely appropriately slotmeral I3. If, as and when desired, a central ting the cover. spacing member also may be employed. It is, Other objects and features of the invention of course, to be understood that all spacers have will be set forth more fully hereinafter. a co-planar top supporting surface arrangement 20 The full nature of the invention will be underso that the bottom body portion of the superstood from the accompanying drawing and the posed container or chick box will be supported following description and claims. in parallel relation to the lid or cover of the lower In the drawing: box bottom. I 25 Flg. 1 is a perspective View of a plurality of The advantage of the aforesaid spacing are chick boxes in stacked relation.` that air can freely circulate between the two Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a chick box cover boxes from either of the transverse directions or A structure with two specific embodiments of the angularly of the two transverse directions, there- 3Q invention applied thereto, and two of the corner by insuring free passage of airbetween two boxes, 30 spacers being omitted to illustrate two diierent even if the stack be positioned against a blank types of spacer mounting. Wall or in a corner of a compartment, etc.

Fig. 3 is a developed plan view of cornerspacer Reference will first be had to Fig. 2 wherein shown in Fig. 2 and the one adapted for mountthe cover structure is shown adapted to support ing in the upper right hand corner of the cover a spacer of triangular outline at each corner, two 35 shown in Fig.2. being shown in Fig. 2 as actually applied to the Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of a differcover. These triangular spacers, as shownposient embodiment of the invention. tioned so that the base portion thereof extends Fig. Ll--A is an enlarged sectional view of the from one side edge to an adjacent side edge of embodiment shown in Fig. 4 taken in a plane the cover and, as illustrated in Fig. 2, each pro- 40 substantially coincident with the top surface of jects a slight distance therebeyond, as indicated the cover. at I 4. The base face or wall of the triangular Fig. 5 is a developed plan view of the spacers spacer is indicated by the numeral I5. The two shown in Fig. 4 and adapted for mounting in the other sides are indicated by the numeral I6 and 451 10Wer right-,hand G01-ner of the @over shown in the vertex is indicated by the numeral Il. This 45 Fig. 4. y vertex is positioned between the triangle base Fig. 6 is a developed plan View 0f a, corner I5 and the central portion of the cover herein spacer similar t0 that Shown in Fig, 5 and adaptand the triangular spacer has all 0f the Sides l5 ed for mounting in the upper right hand corner and I6 suitably COIlneCted tgether by a triangu- `of the cover shown in Fig. 4. lary shaped bearing portion I8. Thus there is Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a modied provided an appreciable bearing area for superform of spacer, and the adjacent cover corner posed box support.

porti-on. Furthermore, when four corners spacers are l Fig. 8 is a developed plan view of the blank utilized, as well as when the same and a fifth forming the spacer shown in Fig. 7. central spacer are utilized, if the boxes be slightly 55 adjacent boxes in the same co-planar relationship, and this occurs even though the stacks or@ tiers of boxes be slightly off-set becausethenthe j projecting portions I 4, having the same co-planar relationship, will inter-t, as it were. This in-` sures vertical ventilation along the sides of the stack of boxes for side wall ventilation of the boxes.

A preferred form of anchoring each of the |cor.V

ner spacers embodying the invention is by a tongue and slot connection, in each instanceA the slots being formed in the cover and the tongues' being formed on and as an integral part of the spacer structure. As shown in Fig. 2 in the upper right hand corner the cover is provided with two diverging spaced slots I9 and two aligned slots 2Q. The triangular spacer structure .shown in Fig. 3 has each wall IES provided with a T-shaped tongue 2|, each tongue being receivable by -a slot I9 and lockingly associated with the cover II by reason of the enlarged portion Zilla. Portion I5` of the triangular spacer shown in Fig. 3 is provided with a plurality of locking tongue portions 22 enlarged as at 22a to provide a T-shaped formation. E-ach tongue 22 is received by a'slot 20, see Fig. 2, for lockingly securing the spacer to the cover.

If the portion I5 of the triangular spacer shown in Fig. 3 were provided with one locking projection or tongue 22-22a the same preferably would be medianly positioned and then that spacer, as thus modified, could be mounted inthe same manner by associating the tongues 2l and 22 with the cover slots I9a and 20al shown in the `lower right hand corner of Fig. 2.

If desired, the tongue and slot connection may readily be reversed. In this instance tongues will be struck up from the cover and interlock in slots formed in the spacers, or separators, without departing from the basic invention.

In Fig. 2, the two transverse dotted lines 23 indicate the position relative to the cover which transversely positioned partitions assume when .the cover is mounted upon a partitioned chickv box structure.

It will, of course, be obvious that the triangular spacer shown in Fig. 3, or .the modified form thereof described, may be associated with the cover and `applied to the central posi-tion thereof. -In the present invention a central spacer can not be shown applied to cover Il, see Fig. 1, because of the angle of the perspective in which Fig. l is taken.

Herein this central spacer, see Fig. 2, may be considered of dual triangular type, in other words, diamond shaped, and the points thereof are in alignment with the transverse partitions. Such a spacerV includes a top surface forming portion 24 and four side wall portions 25 hingedly connected thereto and directed toward the cover portion. Extending in co-planar relation with said side wall portions 25 are the locking tongues 26, each vtongue being preferably of T-shaped character and receivable by a slot 21 provided in and end Walls.

said cover. As stated, all of the sur-faces I8 of the corner spacers and the surface 24 of the central spacer are co-planar.

Since in most chick boxes the height of the parti-tions 23 are substantially the same as the height of the side .and end walls of the box structure, and since the 4body portion II of the cover bears thereon it will be noted that the load of the superposed box, or boxes, in the stack is transmitted to the supporting box or lower box through the spacers, cover, partitions and side Thus, in effect, the Weight of the stack is carried through the side and end walls and through the transverse partitions if, as and Y when the central spacer is employed.

It will be noted also, see Fig. 2, that the tongue portions 26 lie in the "corner between the -transverse partitions and thus do not interfere with the transverse partitions in the seating of the'cover.

vIn Figs. 4 to 6 there is illustrated a modified form of vthe .invention which may be of single tongue' or plural locking Itongue type, compare Figs. 5 andG. In .these figures numerals of the IUS series similar to the primary numerals previoirsly employed herein designate like or similar parts, as designated by numerals of the primary series. In this form of the invention also, the triangular outline is shown substantially equilateral, whereas the triangular outline of the spacer shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is isosceles in character.y Herein a cen-tral spacing member is shown having four sides and square in outline.

This form of the invention differs from that illustrated vin Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in that, the bearing area instead of comprising a triangular or diamond shaped surface constitutes-a bearing area of triangular or square outline, the upper edges of the sides being co-pl-anar. In other Words, the spacing structure is tubular in character.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, there are three portions IIB hingedly connected together as at IIIa and provided with the upper edge H8.v Each is provided with la depending tongue -I2I at its opposi-te edge an-d medianly positioned relative to portion H6. This tongue is of T-shaped character having a lateral enlargement I 21a. The cover, see Fig. 4, is provided with three triangular arranged openings I'I9 and theselockingly re tioned within the outline of the side edges ofV the cover. They may, however, be positioned so that they project beyond the sides or rim portions of the cover, as indicated -at I4 in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 6 there is iuustrated a snghuy modified form of this structure. The same numeral IIS indicates the same three sections or side wallsQ 'Ihese are hingedly connected together at IIBa. The ends of the blank are indicated bythe numeral I Ib. However, in this specific variation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.

4 to 6, inclusive, each side wall portion II6b` ,isv

provided with a plurality of co-planar and. depending integral locking tongues I2I, each being T-shaped and having the lateral enlargement I2Ia.

The cover III in the upper right hand corner is shown provided with three pairs of slots IISa triangularly arranged, as shown.

Herein, see Figs. 4 and 4-A, the transverse dotted lines indicate two transverse partitions |23, or rather the position same would occupy relative to the cover when the cover is applied to a transversely partitioned box bottom structure.

Herein, see Fig. 4, the central spacing member includes four side walls |25, each having the upper edge |24 and these four edges of these four sides I 25 are co-planar and co-planar with the top edges II of the four triangular corner spacers.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 4-A integral with each of the side walls |25, and herein integral with an adjacent wall, is a locking tongue structure that when the side walls are arranged in peripheral and quadrilateral outline form an angular sectioned locking tongue |25 receivable by the angular slot |21 in the cover III. Thus the lockingtongues |26 may at each side edge form a locking projection. The arrangement thereof also is such that the locking tongues |26 do not oiTer an obstruction to the seating of the cover upon the top edge of the transverse partitions I23 and the top edges of the side and end walls of the box bottom structure.

It is, of course, to be understood that all or" the lateral projections of the tongues previously mentioned underlie the under face of the supporting cover and the shape of said enlargement may be such, if desired, that after the tongue portion is passed into and through the slot the locking enlargement yieldingly draws the side wall supporting the same into relatively close contact with the upper surface of the adjacent cover portion.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive. In these iigures numerals of the two hundred series indicate like or similar parts. Thus 2| I indicates the body portion of the cover and 2|2 the rim thereof. The cover is provided with spaced corner biased slots 2I9. A corner spacing member includes the top surface portion 2|3 parallel to the cover ZII and the same may and herein is shown projecting beyond the rim portion as at 2id. One side wall 2I5 extends from one side edge to the adjacent side of the cover.

Another side wall 2I6 is provided and herein is shown positioned parallel to the side wall portion 2I5. Integral with the side wall 215 is the locking tongue 222 having the enlarged portion 222e, the projection being T-shaped in outline. Similarly the wall 2I6 is provided with a corresponding T-shaped loclnng projection 22| enlarged as at 22 Ia.

Integral with each of the portions 2|5 and 2 IE are the L-shaped portions 243 and 24|. These, as shown in Fig. 8, partially embrace, as it were, the adjacent locking tongues. When the blank shown in Fig. 8 is assembled together with the tongue 2:19a and the tongue Zilla of the angular portions interlock, as shown in Fig. 9. Thus there is provided a semi-tubular type structure which is X-braced, as it were.

The type of spacer shown in Fig. 7 also may be centrally positioned and when its longitudinal direction coincides with a diagonal of the cover the slots 2I9 will lie parallel to each other upon opposite sides of the cover center and the diagonal mentioned and the tongues when mounted in the central slots will be in non-interfering relation for cover seating and with respect to the transverse partitions if embodied in the box structure.

The invention claimed is:

1. A box cover structure for spaced stackable chick boxes including a quadrilaterally outlined cover and spacing means at each corner and each including three sides arranged in triangular outline, each of the sides having an upper edge substantially coplanar with all other side edges, each triangular spacing means being formed from a single piece of stock, the said sides constituting marginal extensions of a triangular body portion forming a triangular bearing area for a superposed box.

2. A box cover structure for spaced stackable chick boxes including a quadrilaterally outlined cover and spacing means at each corner and each including three sides arranged in triangular outline, each of the sides having an upper edge substantially coplanar with all other side edges, each triangular spacing means being formed from a single piece of stock, the said sides constituting marginal extensions of a triangular body portion forming a triangular bearing area for a superposed box, the cover being suitably apertured adjacent each spacing means and in alignment with the sides thereof, and locking means on the lower edge of each side and positioned for cover aperture reception for spacing means connectio-n to cover.

3. A box c-over structure for spaced stackable chick boxes including a quadrilaterally outlined cover and spacing means at each corner and each including three sides arranged in triangular outline, a vertex of the triangular outline being positioned between the cover adjacent corner and the cover center, the other two vertices of the triangular outline being positioned betwcen the first mentioned vertex and the said adjacent corner and spaced therefrom, the second mentioned vertices being at opposite sides of a plane trans verse to the cover structure and including the rst mentioned vertex and adjacent corner, each of the sides having an upper edge substantially coplanar with all other side edges, each triangular spacing means being formed from a single piece of stock, the said sides constituting marginal extensions of a triangular body portion forming a triangular bearing area for a superposed box.

4. A box cover structure for spaced stackable chick boxes including a quadrilaterally outlined cover and spacing means at each corner and each including three sides arranged in triangular outline, a vertex of the triangular outline being positioned between the cover adjacent corner and the cover center, the other two vertices of the triangular outline being positioned between the first mentioned vertex and the said adjacent corner and spaced therefrom, the second mentioned vertices being at opposite sides of a plane transverse to the cover structure and including the rst mentioned vertex and adjacent corner, each ofthe sides having an upper edge substantially coplanar with all other side edges, each triangular spacing means being formed from a sinigle piece of stock, the said sides constituting marginal extensions of a triangular body portion forming a triangular bearing area for a superposed box, the cover beingv suitably apertured adjacent each spacing means and in alignment with the sides thereof, and locking means on the lower edge of each side and positioned for cover aperture reception for spacing meansconnection to cover. NORBERT F. SCHAEFER. 

